Army chaplain, raised in Hood River, dies in Afghanistan bomb blast

An Army chaplain who grew up in Hood River has become the 124th service member with strong ties to Oregon to die in combat.

Chaplain (Capt.) Dale Allen Goetz, 43, died Monday in a roadside bomb attack in Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan less than a month after he deployed. Four other soldiers also based at Fort Carson, Colo. also died.

Goetz completed his Master of Divinity degree at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Minneapolis in 2000. He was pastor of a church in White, S.D., until beginning his work toward chaplaincy. Goetz joined the Army in 2000. He was a member of the Chaplain Corps.

According to reports, the Goetz family had been transferred to Colorado in January after serving three years in Okinawa, Japan. Goetz was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division based at Fort Carson.

Goetz had also served 11 months in Iraq in 2004-2005.

The News reported that the family was told by a Army casualty assistance officer that Goetz died after getting out of his vehicle to help soldiers in another Humvee hit by a first IED.

His mother, Hope Goetz, who lives in Elizabeth, Colo., was traveling to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to meet her son's body.

Goetz is survived by his wife, Christina, who also graduated from Maranatha in 1995, and children, Landon, 10, Caleb, 8, and Joel, 1 year. A funeral service will be held in Colorado Springs with burial at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver.